One step at a time. That's it. I can do this. These words filtered through
Scott's mind. He ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair. I can do this!
He reached for his visor, making sure his eyes were looking straight at an
empty spot on the grounds. One step at a time. His mind repeated.
Scott knew that if anyone knew what he was doing he would be in major trouble, but he didn't care. He fastened his thumb and forefinger onto the frame of his visor and closed his eyes. Slowly, he pulled them off, holding them tight so he wouldn't drop them.
He concentrated. Hard. He kept his mind on controlling his power. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.
YES! It worked. He could see in more colors than one! Unfortunately, it didn't last. After a few seconds it was gone. The control, the freedom was gone. Scott felt the red rays of energy building up behind his eyes and he closed them. Behind his eyelids his eyes were glowing red and heated beams of light were pushing against hem. Scott returned his visor to his face and rubbed his head with his fingertips.
Scott had tried to do this a few times. Always the headaches that followed were tremendous. This time it was even worse.
"Scott? Are you okay?" Came Jean's voice.
Scott had fallen to his knees and was clutching his forehead in agony. He barely heard Jean's question.
"Scott! What's your problem?" Jean demanded.
Oh! This is ridiculous! She thought and searched Scott's mind. She broke off and put her hands on her hips.
"Scott Summers! What on earth were you thinking? Trying to control your powers without anyone around to help! How stupid can you get?" She reprimanded him.
By now Scott had cooled down. He saw Jean's face and cringed. She looked even more menacing in red. Of course, Scott had only seen her once in any other color, and he barely remembered it.
"I was hoping no one would find out." He said softly as he got to his feet.
"Well you know better than that!" Jean yelled, "Of all the stupid . . ." She went on from there.
Scott wasn't paying attention. He had caught sight of Kurt on the balcony outside his room. Kurt could often be found there but something was wrong this time. Kurt was holding something. Something long and brown. Then Scott remembered it; Kurt had been wearing a hooded overcoat when they first met him to conceal his freakish appearance. Scott remembered the first time he shook Kurt's hand. The three-fingers thing kinda freaked him out but he did his best to conceal it. Scott hadn't seen that coat since the Prof. had fitted Kurt with the Holographic Projector.
Jean noticed that Scott wasn't paying attention and stopped talking. She followed his gaze to the balcony where Kurt was sitting. Similar thoughts to those of Scott began to enter her mind.
On the balcony Kurt was fingering the overcoat absently. 'I spent a lifetime hiding behind a cloak.' His mother's words drifted through his head.
"I can relate." Kurt said to himself.
He didn't notice Rogue entering his room, nor did he notice her approaching the balcony. He finally noticed her when she was standing right next to him.
Kurt looked away and took a breath. After a while he spoke. "How did you know?"
Rogue was silent for a while. She looked at the stars and pretended not to hear him.
Kurt spoke again. "How did you know?"
"I followed you. After school got out I saw someone grab you so I followed you after you vanished. I saw you land on a nearby hill so I hid behind a rock while you and Mystique talked. I figured it'd be kinda hard for you to tell me who I was so I thought I'd let you know that I knew."
Kurt nodded. "You were right. I didn't know how to tell you. I guess you did me a favor by spying on me."
Rogue narrowed her eyes. "You listen to me fuzzy! I wasn't spying on you I was spying on Mystique!"
Kurt looked at her. He seemed distant. "Just don't follow me this time!" And with that he the coat over himself and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Rogue sighed and turned to go inside. On her way to the hall she spotted a piece of paper on Kurt's dresser. She picked it up and read.
Dear Mother:
I've been thinking a lot about the things you said. I guess I understand where you're coming from, but I still wish you would give humans a chance. Humans are strange creatures and they don't know what to do when they get scared. And we scare them. I guess I feel differently from the way you do. I feel like I have a home at the institute. And for the first time I can goof off around other people without having to worry about scaring them out of their wits. It's not our fault that we are the way we are. But it's not their fault that they are the way they are either. I just wish you would give them the chance to prove they can be like my father. He isn't the only one who couldn't care less about how we look. I have to go now. Bye.
Your son,
Kurt
Rogue put the letter down. A tear came to her eye. It wasn't right that he would have to go through this. Still, he was handling it well. Now, if only she could handle being his cousin. Family reunions were gonna be pretty strange from now on.
Scott knew that if anyone knew what he was doing he would be in major trouble, but he didn't care. He fastened his thumb and forefinger onto the frame of his visor and closed his eyes. Slowly, he pulled them off, holding them tight so he wouldn't drop them.
He concentrated. Hard. He kept his mind on controlling his power. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.
YES! It worked. He could see in more colors than one! Unfortunately, it didn't last. After a few seconds it was gone. The control, the freedom was gone. Scott felt the red rays of energy building up behind his eyes and he closed them. Behind his eyelids his eyes were glowing red and heated beams of light were pushing against hem. Scott returned his visor to his face and rubbed his head with his fingertips.
Scott had tried to do this a few times. Always the headaches that followed were tremendous. This time it was even worse.
"Scott? Are you okay?" Came Jean's voice.
Scott had fallen to his knees and was clutching his forehead in agony. He barely heard Jean's question.
"Scott! What's your problem?" Jean demanded.
Oh! This is ridiculous! She thought and searched Scott's mind. She broke off and put her hands on her hips.
"Scott Summers! What on earth were you thinking? Trying to control your powers without anyone around to help! How stupid can you get?" She reprimanded him.
By now Scott had cooled down. He saw Jean's face and cringed. She looked even more menacing in red. Of course, Scott had only seen her once in any other color, and he barely remembered it.
"I was hoping no one would find out." He said softly as he got to his feet.
"Well you know better than that!" Jean yelled, "Of all the stupid . . ." She went on from there.
Scott wasn't paying attention. He had caught sight of Kurt on the balcony outside his room. Kurt could often be found there but something was wrong this time. Kurt was holding something. Something long and brown. Then Scott remembered it; Kurt had been wearing a hooded overcoat when they first met him to conceal his freakish appearance. Scott remembered the first time he shook Kurt's hand. The three-fingers thing kinda freaked him out but he did his best to conceal it. Scott hadn't seen that coat since the Prof. had fitted Kurt with the Holographic Projector.
Jean noticed that Scott wasn't paying attention and stopped talking. She followed his gaze to the balcony where Kurt was sitting. Similar thoughts to those of Scott began to enter her mind.
On the balcony Kurt was fingering the overcoat absently. 'I spent a lifetime hiding behind a cloak.' His mother's words drifted through his head.
"I can relate." Kurt said to himself.
He didn't notice Rogue entering his room, nor did he notice her approaching the balcony. He finally noticed her when she was standing right next to him.
Kurt looked away and took a breath. After a while he spoke. "How did you know?"
Rogue was silent for a while. She looked at the stars and pretended not to hear him.
Kurt spoke again. "How did you know?"
"I followed you. After school got out I saw someone grab you so I followed you after you vanished. I saw you land on a nearby hill so I hid behind a rock while you and Mystique talked. I figured it'd be kinda hard for you to tell me who I was so I thought I'd let you know that I knew."
Kurt nodded. "You were right. I didn't know how to tell you. I guess you did me a favor by spying on me."
Rogue narrowed her eyes. "You listen to me fuzzy! I wasn't spying on you I was spying on Mystique!"
Kurt looked at her. He seemed distant. "Just don't follow me this time!" And with that he the coat over himself and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Rogue sighed and turned to go inside. On her way to the hall she spotted a piece of paper on Kurt's dresser. She picked it up and read.
Dear Mother:
I've been thinking a lot about the things you said. I guess I understand where you're coming from, but I still wish you would give humans a chance. Humans are strange creatures and they don't know what to do when they get scared. And we scare them. I guess I feel differently from the way you do. I feel like I have a home at the institute. And for the first time I can goof off around other people without having to worry about scaring them out of their wits. It's not our fault that we are the way we are. But it's not their fault that they are the way they are either. I just wish you would give them the chance to prove they can be like my father. He isn't the only one who couldn't care less about how we look. I have to go now. Bye.
Your son,
Kurt
Rogue put the letter down. A tear came to her eye. It wasn't right that he would have to go through this. Still, he was handling it well. Now, if only she could handle being his cousin. Family reunions were gonna be pretty strange from now on.